RENT

I picked up Generator Rex: Agent of Providence with the thought that despite it being for the 10-12 year old set, my five year old son might find it entertaining. I should caveat the rest of this review with the fact that we do not watch the show and had never heard of the series, but I am always up for a new game.

If you, like me, were unaware of the cartoon, here is the general idea: Nanites have infected everything and everyone on the planet, and they randomly mutate creatures. Some creatures manage to deal with the mutations and use them (such as Rex), but most go insane and become monsters. Rex can control his mutations and use them to neutralize the monsters and their mutations. He works for an organization called Providence, and they fight against the E.V.O.s (Exponentially Variegated Organisms). The main enemy is a bad guy named Van Kleiss.

The game is a basic hack and slash with a side scroll. You learn how to use all kinds of different mutations for different monsters and scenarios, such as jumping high or smashing through barriers. As you progress through the levels, you unlock new mutations you can use. When you kill monsters or break objects, you collect nanites that you can use to upgrade your weapons. Most level are a series of mobs followed one after another with an ending boss. There were two levels that did not follow that format: one was a motorcycle ride with a monkey E.V.O. and another that involved a ride on rock tablets through a tunnel while being chased by a huge boulder.

And that is when I quit the game. First, a boulder chasing you? Maybe a 10-12 year old would not understand why I found that irritating, but I am old enough to consider it a bit of a rip off. Second, the level was nigh unplayable for me. It involved a lot of timed jumps, and these are not my strong suit. I kept dying, and my frustration level kept going up. My husband took about five attempts to get through the FIRST section, but neither of us managed to get through the next one. Third, after an initial sense of awe and wonder, my five year old grew quickly bored with the game. He likes jumping and racing, so it had little to no appeal to him (although he did like me killing the monsters and perhaps I should rethink what a good idea this was). He would beg me to play, but he would wander off more quickly each time. Fourth, maybe it was just the DS controls, but I found myself relying on only one or two different weapons (I do not think I even unlocked them all) because switching back and forth required not only the buttons but the stylus and touchscreen. It was overly complicated for what should have been a fun, simple game.

And hey, it’s subtitled for your enjoyment.

BUY

As a fan of the Lego Series by TT Games (Traveller’s Tales), it is only natural that I’d be excited to play one of the latest installments, Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars.  I didn’t go in having high expectations because, let’s face it, they’re all similar in gameplay.  I was, however, pleasantly surprised to find that there were in-game references to other Lego titles such as Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and even a surprise reference to the latest game, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean.  This game was super fun and includes some characters from the first games (Lego Star Wars and Lego Star Wars II) as well as many new ones from the Clone Wars (animated TV series).

First of all, there is the Prologue which is an easy and short beginning to the game, it also serves as a training area to familiarize you with the controls.  The controls are very simple to master but there are a few new abilities and extras that are unique to this individual game.  You begin as Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.  After traveling to Geonosis in search of Jango Fett, you are captured and being held captive in the Geonosis Arena.  You must escape.  This arena is packed and I mean PACKED with droids, more droids, space rhinos and an unfriendly kitty.  From the beginning I really enjoyed the fast paced and chaotic action the game had to offer.  It made it a bit more challenging.  Also, the required actions to complete the levels were not so “straight forward” this time around.  Thinking was involved and I’ll be completely honest, there were times I was confused and couldn’t figure out what to do right away.   The levels are bigger, involving more content, more enemies and more actions to complete.   This game made me happy!  As with previous games there are levels which contain chapters.  In this particular title there are 3 main levels with 6 chapters a piece.  If you do the math, including the Prologue and Epilogue, that equals 20 levels of awesome!  Not including Bonus Missions.  If you’ve seen The Clone Wars animated series, you’ll see that it follows the storyline well.  If you haven’t seen it, you won’t recognize the characters but you’ll catch on quick.

The graphics are a bit better than its predecessors.  The characters themselves have more definition (facial) and each new environment is more colorful and vibrant.  The menu (for chapters) has changed a bit and reminds me of the Lego Batman computer interface.  There are no longer doors to be unlocked.  There is a holographic system of planets that follow color coded paths through the levels.  After completion of each chapter, you are brought back to the main hub where you can access everything at one console area.  Although there are other areas in the hub, the game does not require running back and forth between rooms during your play through.  We all know that can get boring, real fast.  I was happy with the change.

Another new feature is the “Story Swap” mode.  This was an interesting twist on single player that lets you play through two different storylines of a chapter, while ultimately working together to complete it.  This is also very similar to the “Multiplayer” or co-op mode which is a great way to enjoy the game with friends and family.

As with numerous games, it’s nearly impossible to complete the game 100% without a second or maybe even a third play through, this is the case here.  There are a multitude of unlockables available as well as achievements (48 to be exact) to be earned.  “Story” mode is the only available mode at first; you must complete each chapter in “Story” mode to be granted “Free Play” ability.  Once “Free Play” is unlocked, the game presents new challenges which make its replay value high and very worthwhile.

The Epilogue is intense.  The game ends well, and one thing that made it very different was the ability to build troops of stormtroopers, vehicles, buildings and weapons.  You will need an army.  Eventually, a specific tank (RX 200) is required to take down the final boss.  You will need to collect a great number of Lego Studs to do this and beat the game.

In my house, I am not the only Lego fan; my kids also enjoy the games very much and like to play in co-op.   I feel that the game is very family friendly and fun (despite the violent battles and action packed gameplay).  I’ve recommended this game to quite a few people, with and without kids.  I do expect more from the Lego Franchise in the future; however, I don’t feel we’ll see another Star Wars game.  I’m hoping for Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7!  Please?

Also Available On: Wii, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, PC, Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo 3DS

• Super Mario 3D Land
• Mario Kart 7
• Kid Icarus: Uprising
• Star Fox 64 3D
• The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D
• Pokédex 3D
• Shinobi™ by SEGA®
• Sonic Generations by SEGA

Wii

• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
• Kirby’s Return to Dream Land
• Rhythm Heaven (name not final)
• Fortune Street

Nintendo DS

• Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2
• Kirby Mass Attack

Nintendo will also have a Nintendo Gaming Lounge in the North Galleria, which will be decorated to celebrate the launch of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land on October 24, as well as Kirby Mass Attack‘s release on September 19. You’ll be able to eat cotton candy in Kirby’s pink color (Uhhh), sit on Kirby beanbag chairs (I want one) and get special Kirby items. The third floor will have large Pokémon AR cards and giveaways.

This will probably be the perfect place to beef up your StreetPass count, too.

Easy Interactive is bringing the cutesy indie game Max and the Magic Marker to Nintendo DS this holiday. The game is already available on PC, WiiWare, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Windows Phone 7, so this is just another addition to the “platforms that require pointing at something” list. Here, you’ll be using your DS stylus as the titular magic marker, which you use to draw items into the game world.

That magic marker is definitely necessary to solve the puzzles you’ll encounter on the way to destroying the monster that Max himself created. You know, with the magic marker you control. Wouldn’t some good stain removers or washable markers just solve all of these problems? Oh well. Features include:

• Three stunning worlds
• 15 challenging levels
• Variety of challenges, secrets and rewards to unlock
• Intuitive use of the DS stylus as the magic marker
• Original soundtrack by Danish band Analogik

So, if you like drawing…then

Not only are they trotting out the 3DS holiday releases (Super Mario, Mario Kart, and Kid Icarus: Uprising), but this is the spot they’ve chosen to give The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword its first North American public playable demo. Very nice (if you’re there).

Nintendo’s booth (#5135) isn’t the only place to go for gaming fun, either. A special “Gaming Lounge” is being set up in the San Diego Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis & Marina, which is apparently right next to the convention center. A special Legend of Zelda art piece will be created there over the course of the convention, special Pokémon meetings will take place (and hey, you can grab a few special AR cards, too) and there will be giant AR cards on hand for fun photo ops. (I wish they’d put a giant one on the outside of the L.A. Convention Center for E3, but I digress.)

Nintendo’s going to have a whole host of playable games there that won’t be on the regular show floor:

Nintendo 3DS:
• Super Mario
• Mario Kart
• Kid Icarus: Uprising
• Star Fox 64 3D
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
• Pokédex 3D
• METAL GEAR SOLID Snake Eater 3D
• Shinobi
• Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
• RESIDENT EVIL: THE MERCENARIES 3D
• DEAD OR ALIVE Dimensions

Wii:
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
• Kirby Wii
• Rhythm Heaven
• Fortune Street
• Captain America: Super Soldier
• Just Dance 3

Nintendo DS:
• Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2

Let us know if you go!

At E3 this year we got to take a peek at a demo of Sims 3 Pets. We didn’t get a hands on so this preview is really all informational, but should help to see if you want to have pets enter your Sims’ world.

Sims 3, as a product, has reached some milestones on it’s own. Over 3 billion in game sales and with more variety in how players play the game. Sims 3 allows players to be builders, achievers, experimenters, and storytellers. There have been amazing stories that players have told with Sims 3 and now they can include pets.

The Pets are not just added characters to a game, they are Sims themselves. Players will have over 100 different breeds of dogs and cats to choose from. From there, players have the ability to customize their pet in all the ways they are used to customizing their Sim. During the demo, we made a green and black, long nosed doggie. Odd? Maybe, but it does speak to the flexibility of the pet creator. Although I’d be surprised if players didn’t leave their pets in their original breed looks.

Pets can also have jobs, karma and personality traits. The Karma powers are new to Sims 3. Using the pets and the pedometer in the game players can collect Play Coins. The coins can be used to make your Sims happy or to cause havoc. Always your choice.

There are platform specific features for Sims 3. The Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 have treasures and mysteries for the pets to find. Specifically on the Xbox 360, players will be able to use Xbox Kinect to direct the Sims and their pets. Players can use Kinect to get through the menus.

The Nintendo 3DS version allows players to use the Karma Powers, or trade pets with their friends using StreetPass. That’s one way to breed your very unique pet.

PC players are not to be left out. They will get the option to create horses along with cats, dogs, birds, lizards, rodents and snakes.

Sims 3 players will enjoy incorporating pets into their Sims lives. I think it will add to people’s stories and create some unique breeds of animals.

In other Sims news, we were unable to check out Sims Social at E3. But hopefully we will get news soon on what to expect from that experience.

It appears that five versions will be available — one each for Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade. No, I have no idea how the last two versions will differ from their respective console’s version. Maybe the downloadable copy will be more bare-bones?

The games are scheduled to ship in Q4 2011.
Of course, we know what comes after this…mobile phone versions. Well, at least I hope so.

However, you don’t have to look at them that way if you don’t want to — Joystiq did some shuffling and managed to organize them in a much more readable fashion. (I thank them for that, seriously.) I’ve republished that whole list below. What are you shelling out for?

2K Play

Wii:
Nicktoons MLB — August
Nickelodeon Dance — November

DS:
Nicktoons MLB — August
Dora and Kai-Lan’s Pet Shelter — November
Team Umizoomi — November

Wii:
Zumba Fitness 2 — Nov. 8

Power Rangers Samurai — Fall 2011

Nintendo
Wii:
Wii Play: Motion — June 13
Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident — June 27
Kirby Wii — Fall
Fortune Street — Holiday
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword — Holiday
Mario Party 9 — TBA
Rhythm Heaven — TBA

DS:
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 — Aug. 28
Kirby Mass Attack — Sept. 19
Professor Layton and the Last Specter — Fall
Super Fossil Fighters — Holiday

Sega

Wii:
Captain America: Super Solider — July 19
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games — November

DS:
Captain America: Super Soldier — July 19

Tecmo Koei

Wii:
Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey & Gallop Racer — Q4 2011

Telegames

DS:
Ultimate Card Games — Q4
Ultimate Brain Games — Q1 2012

THQ

Wii:
UFC Personal Trainer — June 28
WWE 12 — Nov. 22

Ubisoft

Wii:
The Smurfs Dance Party — July 19
Family Feud 2012 (working title) — Sept. 27
The Price is Right Decades — Sept. 27
Just Dance 3 — Fall
The Adventures of Tintin (working title) Dec. 6

DS:
The Smurfs — July 19

WB Interactive

Wii:
Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters — June 7
Sesame Street: Ready, Set, Grover! — Summer
Happy Feet Two – The Videogame — Fall

DS:
Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters — June 7
Sesame Street: Ready, Set, Grover! — Summer
Happy Feet Two – The Videogame — Fall
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 — Holiday

WiiWare*

La-Mulana — Summer
MotoHeroz — Summer

DSiWare*

AfterZoom — July 14
Pro Jumper! Chimaki’s Hot Spring Tour Guilty Gear Tangent — June 23
Moto eXtreme — June 30
Zoonies — Escape from Makatu — Summer
House, M.D. — Blue Meanie — August
House, M.D. — Skull & Bones — November

Over 1,000 Pokémon trainers competed for this coveted title during the Pokémon Southeastern Regional Video Game Championship in Atlanta on June 4.

Natalie Kaspszak, 13, is the first girl to win in the Seniors Division of the Pokémon Video Game Championship. (Photo provided by Pokémon VGC.)

The regionals were split into three age-dependant divisions: Juniors, Seniors and Masters. The top 16 trainers in each division was given a spot to compete in the Pokémon U.S. National Championship on July 8 – 10 in Indianapolis, Ind.

However, the winner in each division received the grand prize of a Nintendo 3DS and a four day, three night vacation in Indianapolis. The runner up in each division also received a Nintendo 3DS and a $300 travel allowance.

Trainers from all over the US attended this event, including 13-year-old Seniors Division champion Natalie Kaspszak, a participant who flew from Phoenix, Ariz. to Atlanta to compete.

Kaspszak said that she was able to make the four hour flight because her father had extra frequent flyer miles. She plans on using more of those frequent flyer miles to compete in nationals.

Kaspszak was the first girl to win in the Pokémon Seniors Division, said a public relations representative, of the Pokémon franchise.  Her love for the game had very humble beginnings.

“I started playing when I went over to my cousin’s house and played Pokémon Sapphire,” she said.

Now she is an active member on Smogon.com, where she shares her passion for planning Pokémon teams and battle strategies with other community members. 

Despite her enormous win, Kaspszak admits that stress played a huge role in her performance.

“Stress made me mess up a lot,” Kaspszak said. “I just paid attention. I played awfully in finals.”

Though people of all ages attended this year’s VGC, about half of those who competed were in the Masters Division, Brian Reinert said. The Masters Division is comprised of trainers who were born in 1995 or earlier, according to the VGC official website.

Masters Division regional champion Thomas Lamont was “overjoyed” about winning the regional title in the Masters Division.

“I really didn’t expect to do well,” Lamont said. He said that he played on the Skarmbliss server on Pokemon Online to prepare for the upcoming regional VGC. This online simulator allows players to build and test their prospective teams before they train them in-game for battle. 

Despite his team’s success, Lamont said that he plans on changing his current team – Haxorus, Tornadus, Musharna, Krookodile, Thundurus and Volcarona – for the national competition.

However, if you missed out on the opportunity to compete, you still have time.  There are still several competitions taking place throughout the US, including the East Regional Championship on June 11 in Washington, D.C. and the Northeast Regional Championship on June 18 in Newark, N.J.

If you are confident enough in your abilities, you can also compete in the National Championship by registering on-site on the day of the event.

You can visit the Pokémon VGC website for more information on how to participate, as well as watch videos of the final battles and read about the winner’s team choices.